The American Bee Journal

The next addition to The Hive and the Honeybee electronic library will be the first 20 volumes of the American Bee Journal, covering the years 1861-1884. The ABJ was the first bee magazine ever published in the English language. It began as a monthly magazine, presenting theoretical and practical articles, engravings and sketches, as well as lively comments from readers, who contributed both their questions and their expertise. Its pages reported on new inventions of the day, such as the extractor, the smoker, and comb foundation. Featured contributors included L.L. Langstroth, Henry Alley, Moses Quinby, A.I. Root, Charles Dadant, C.C. Miller and other beekeeping leaders of the 19th century. Still being published today, the ABJ exists as a monument to the long history of beekeeping and the ingenuity of its practitioners.

The cost of digitizing the first 20 volumes of the American Bee Journal is estimated to be about $3000. Mann Library welcomes the participation of beekeeping professionals and enthusiasts in making this important addition to the Hive and Honeybee collection possible. At present, a total of $2,150 has already been raised towards this goal. Contributing friends include: Dr. Dewey Caron (Newark, Delaware), Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (New York), The Finger Lakes Beekeepers Club (New York), Mike Griggs (Ithaca, New York.), the Maine State Beekeepers Association (Maine), the Merrimack Valley Beekeepers Association (New Hampshire), the Mid-York Beekeepers Association (New York), the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association (Maryland), the Nevada County Beekeeper's Association (California), the Pawtuckaway Beekeepers' Association (New Hampshire), the Seacoast Beekeepers of New Hampshire (New Hampshire), the Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association (California), and the Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association (New York.), as well as Dadant & Sons, Inc. of Hamilton, Illinois--who continue to publish the American Bee Journal.

Additional contributions may be sent to Mann Library, Administrative Office, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (checks should be made payable to Cornell University). For further information about the Hive and the Honeybee and current plans to digitize the American Bee Journal, please contact Eveline Ferretti at Mann Library (email is EF15@cornell.edu, phone is 607-254-4993) or Mike Griggs (MHG3@cornell.edu) of the Finger Lakes Beekeepers Club. We appreciate your interest and your support!